Identification of Spoilage Bacteria in Non-Food Products and Their Inhibition Using Botanical Extracts

Microbial contamination of non-food products is unavoidable since most industrial production cannot guarantee completely sterile end products. Therefore, biocides are added to postpone spoilage. In the last decade, legislation and social acceptance of chemicals have changed tremendously, leading to a growing interest in botanical extracts as alternatives. Here, we identified the bacterial contaminants from 16 expired non-food products, both by a culturing method and a metagenetics approach, revealing Enterobacteriaceae and Pseudomonadaceae as the most common spoilage bacteria. Next, we evaluated 636 botanical extracts for antibacterial activity against a panel of 11 challenge strains, showing broad activity for extracts of a.o. Glycyrrhiza glabra, Ficus hispida, and Toddalia asiatica. Finally, their antibacterial activity was evaluated against Escherichia coli and Staphylococcus aureus in a paint and a detergent product matrix, showing their potential as more sustainable alternatives to synthetic chemical biocides.